The Dickson County Commission approved last month locating a new county firefighter at the Charlotte Volunteer Fire Department and using the city’s emergency responder equipment during normal business hours on weekdays.

County Bob Rial said he was “very excited” about the addition, noting that the Charlotte is the “geographic center” of Dickson County. In addition to the benefit of added personnel, Rial and Emergency Management Director Rob Fisher noted that the person can respond during the hours when many volunteer firefighters are actually at their day jobs.

“As we all know, volunteer firemen are hard to come by these days,” Rial said. “We’ve found over the last few years, we are having trouble getting people to respond during daylight hours because those who do volunteer, have jobs.”

“This way, we have at least one member of the cavalry getting there quick while we have other people show up to help,” the mayor added.

The job, which will pay about $32,000 per year, is scheduled for Monday to Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The Charlotte fire station is located just off the Charlotte Square on Highway 48.

“The way Charlotte is sitting, it’s a good place to start...because you have such quick avenues to get to the other areas,” Fisher said. “The plan that I have worked on since I have been here is to have (a firefighter) in every volunteer fire department.”

Those positions will be added "as money becomes available to do that,” Fisher added.

The new position was approved earlier in 2017 and added in the current budget. The agreement with the City of Charlotte only needed to formalized and approved.

Rial and Fisher said that as part of the agreement the county emergency responder would, of course, be protecting Charlotte. And, if officials in another area of Dickson County request aid, the new responder could also provide assistance at that scene.

Commissioner Cotton Dawson, who represents White Bluff, asked why other areas of the county weren’t also getting a county-hired firefighter. Dawson said the commission needs “to talk about” hiring more firefighters to man the other volunteer fire stations during daylight hours.

“It’s a first step. Not a perfect step,” Rial said. “Every long journey starts with one step and this is it.”

In November, the commission approved construction of new combination fire and ambulance station in southeast Dickson County. The estimated opening date for the new station is June 30 next year, said Ambulance Service Director Donny Bear. The station, estimated to be about 4,400 square feet, is located at West Iron Hill Road and Old Highway 46.